Katy Perry Pulls Shoes Over Blackface Criticism

Singer Katy Perry is coming under fire for a shoe design that some say evokes blackface. Perry is the latest designer to be criticized for using such imagery. Blackface dates back centuries and plays on negative stereotypes about African-Americans. It was often used in minstrel shows and still taps into ugly racism to this day. “I was saddened when it was brought to my attention that it was being compared to painful images reminiscent of blackface. Our intention was never to inflict any pain,” Perry said in a statement, adding that the shoes had been pulled from her collection’s website.